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No. 625,569. Patented May 23, I899. W. L. KUHLER.

REFRIGERATOR.

(Apphcahon filed Jan 28, 1899 (No Model.)

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L. KOI-ILER, OF HAZLETON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF TWO THIRDS TO EMMA E. KOHLER, OF SAMEPLACE.

REFRIGERATOR.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 625,569, dated May 23, 1899.

Application filed January 28,1899- gerial No. 703,751. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. KOHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hazleton, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerators, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a refrigerator arranged to promote a continuous circulation of the internal air, which circulation is actuated by the difference in temperature between the ice-chamber and the provision-chamber, an

odor-absorbing material in contact with the internal circulating air and means for ventilating said absorbent material continually and without permitting said ventilation to interfere with the normal air circulation within the refrigerator. This object I accomplish in the manner described in the following specification and illustrated'in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a refrigerator embodying my improvements, the top and lower front portion being broken. away to show the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the upper casing or cover with the top boards removed, and Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the refrigerator on the line 3 3 of Fig. i2.

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates the refrigerator-chest, the side and bottom walls of which are made double and lined with paper. the space between said walls being mainly filled with powdered charcoal or other non-heat-conducting material. For the purpose of promoting air circulation, as hereinafter explained, I prefer to omit the non-conducting material from a part 2 of the walls, as shown in Fig. 3.

The refrigerator is provided with an icechamber 3 in its upper portion, which chamber, as shown in the drawings, is separated from the provision-chamber 1 by a vertical partition 5 and ahorizontal partition 6. The provision-chamber 4: occupies the remainder of the space within the refrigerator-walls extending below the ice-chamber and upward alongside of the vertical partition 5. A suitable vent or opening 7 is provided between the lower part of the ice-chamber and the lower portion of the provision-chamber, so as to permit the cold air from the ice-chamber to fall into the provision chamber. The chambers are provided with suitable doors 8,

the ice-chamber being also provided with a drip-pipe 9 and the provision-chamber with any desired arrangement of trays or shelves 10. The arrangement of the chamber is such that the cold air will fall from the ice-cham her into the provision-chamber and beco1ning warmer therein will pass upward through the provision-chamber and over the vertical partition 5, a suitable duct being arranged to convey the circulating air back into the icechamber. I have shown the preferred arrangement of chambers for producing an in ternal air circulation; but it will be understood that other arrangements of chambers which will promote a continuous circulation of the air may be employed in connection with my improved means for purifying the air and relieving it from odors, which will now be described.

The top or cover for the ice and provision chambers consists of a hollow casing 11, extending over both chambers and'cont'aining a body of odor-absorbing material 12. The lower wall 13 of the casing is provided with an opening 14 over the provision-chamber and a similar opening 15 over the ice-chamber, and these openings are connected by a per forated duct 16 within the casing. Within this duct is arranged a quantity of absorbent material 17, which is held in place by wirenetting or other suitable perforated material 18. The normal circulation of the air is from the ice-chamber to the provision-chamber,

tends straight back to the rear of the casing; but it will be understood that it may take any direction from the opening 1 1 to the exterior, and it may be provided with branches extend ing into the body of absorbent material, if

desired, and with several exterior openings.

' be induced by the opening and closing of the the drawings.

refrigerator-doors, and yet at the same time provide for a gentle aeration of the body of absorbent material through said partition. The odor-absorbing material which I prefer to use is finely-divided charcoal. By arranging the partition a short distance from the outer end, as shown, the charcoal is exposed to the external air through the walls of the ducts 20 between said partition and the end of the duct.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that when the refrigerator-doors are closed the internal air will circulate in the direction indicated by the arrows and in its passage before reentering the ice-chamber will be more or less exposed to the whole body of charcoal, as well as to the charcoal in the duct 16, so that the odors are continually absorbed. At the same time the body of charcoal is always more or less exposed to the atmosphere through the porous partition 21 and the walls 20 in the rear of said partition. lhe slight drafts of air through said partition caused by the occasional opening and closing of the refrigeratordoors also aids in the aeration of the absorbent body, although these drafts are checked to such an extent by said partition that very little of the air is drawn through the opening 14.

In order to promote the circulation of the internal air, I prefer to omit the non-heatconducting material from a part of the upright wall of the provision-chamber, as indicated by the reference-numeral 2 in Fig. 3 of The inlet-opening 15 to the ice-chamber I also restrict in size, so that the air-current entering through said opening will be more forcibly thrown down upon the ice than if alarge opening were employed, and a better circulation of the air around the ice is thus produced.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a refrigerator,the combination with an ice and a provision chamber arranged to promote a continuous circulation of the internal air through said chambers, of a casing containing a body of absorbent material, said material being exposed to the external atin osphere, an outlet-openin g between said pro- 6 5 vision-chamber and the casing, an inlet-opening between said casing and the ice-chamber, and a perforated duct within the casing leading through said absorbent material and connecting said openings, whereby the entire body of internal air is caused to circulate through said duct, substantially as described.

2. In a refrigerator, the combination with an ice and a provision chamber arranged to promote a continuous circulation of the internal air, of a casing containing a body of absorbent material and forming a cover for said chambers, an outlet-opening between said provision-chamber and the casing, an inlet-opening between said casing and the icechamber, a duct connecting said openings, a perforated duct extending through the body of absorbent material and connectingthe said outlet-openin g with the external atmosphere, and a porous partition in said perforated duct, substantially as described.

3. In a refrigerator, the combination with an ice and a provision chamber, separated by avertical partition, the lower part of said ice-chamber communicating with the provision-chamber, of a casing containing a body of absorbent material and forming a cover for said chambers,an outlet-openingbetween said provision-chamber and the casing, an inletopening between said casing and the icechamber, a duct connectingsaid openings and having an absorbent material therein, a perforated duct extending through the body of absorbent material and connecting said outlet-opening with the external atmosphere,

and a partition of absorbent material in saidperforated duct, substantially as described.

4. In arefrigerator, the combination with an ice and a provision chamber, separated by a vertical partition, the lower part of said ice-chamber having an opening communicating with the provision-chamber, of a casing containing a body of absorbent material exposed to the external atmosphere, said casing forming a cover for said chambers, an outletopening between said provision-chamber and the casing, said opening being in communication with the body of absorbent material, an inlet-opening between said casing and the ice-chamber, a perforated duct within the easing leading through said absorbent material and connecting said outlet and inlet openings, whereby the entire body of internal air is caused to circulate through said duct, and an absorbent material in said duct, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, hi WILLIAM L. KOHLER.

mark 71111685682 S. A. BARBER,

E. L. GRosoH. 

